Pinocchio Chronicles: Where is the County AA CEQA Crash Risk Analysis?

Jan 8, 2025 is AA day. Supervisors say if American Airlines (AA) can fly at McClellan-Palomar Airport (Palomar). The answer depends on whether the County 2021 EIR told us of the environmental impacts caused by an AA jet crashing into the Palomar runway east end landfill. The EIR did not. County’s 12/11/24 “cover my ---” environmental checklist ignores the issue.

County says: there is no “new” information of substantial importance. As this author noted in his December 2024 AA comment letter to the supervisors, county staff has hidden from the board the October 15, 2013 county consultant SCS report entitled “Evaluation of Possible Environmental Impacts of a Potential Aircraft Crash into the Landfill Cover at Palomar Airport Landfill, Carlsbad, California.” Why won’t the county supplement its 2021 EIR to cover this topic?

On 12/17/1976, a massive explosion split the “empty” Union Oil tanker Sansinena in half shattering windows miles outside the Port of LA. ( https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SS_Sansinena ) The explosion hurled the 1” to 2” thick steel ship deck several football fields away. Nine died. A fire, fed by an underground fuel line, flamed for days. Harbor waters were polluted. As an attorney then working for the Port, I inspected the explosion site. The explosion lead to two environmental lawsuits.

Bottom line: A proper Palomar CEQA analysis must examine good and bad AA flight days. Aircraft flying well. Aircraft crashing. How can any SD Supervisor approve an AA lease without considering environmental crash effects? Especially when they know the so-called Palomar east end “Runway Safety Area” harbors thousands of feet of active methane gas collection piping.

If a Palomar crash of an AA aircraft carrying 76 passengers does occur into the landfill, the supervisors will have blood on their hands.